Puzzles and Riddles

Learning Goals:

  • Add and subtract whole numbers using a variety of tools and strategies
  • Determine the missing numbers in equations
  • Develop and apply reasoning skills to make and test math predictions

The Challenge:

The goal of these Kakooma puzzles is to find which number in each section is a sum of two other numbers found there (which number can be a total of adding two others?) Once you have found the special sum in each section, use all 4 sums to create 1 final puzzle at the bottom and solve to get your final answer (which of the special numbers from each section is the sum of two of the others?) Here is a solved example:

A completed example of a two-part addition kakooma puzzle. The first part has four square sections containing four numbers each. The left section containing 8, 6, 2, and 12 is labelled with the solution 6+2=8 and its number 8 circled in red. The top section containing 2, 4, 6, and 15 is labelled with the solution 4+2=6 and its number 6 circled in red. The right section containing 1, 3, 4, and 12 is labelled with the solution 3+1=4 and its number 4 circled in red. The bottom section containing 6, 8, 9, and 14 is labelled with the solution 8+6=14 and its number 14 circled in red. The second part is made of four boxes containing 4, 6, 8, and 14. It is labelled with the solution 8+6=14 and its number 14 circled in green. The final answer box contains the number 14.

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Now, try solving these trickier kakooma puzzles on your own, or solve some online at Gregtangmath.com/kakooma.

A two part kakooma puzzle, with each part made up of 5 connected pentagons. The first part has five pentagonal sections containing five numbers each. The top-middle section contains 1, 3, 5, 6, and 19, the top-right section contains 1, 3, 5, 6, and 17, the bottom-right section contains 2, 3, 5, 10, and 23, the bottom-left section contains 1, 6, 8, 14, and 19, and the top-left section contains 5, 7, 11, 12, and 21. The second part has five smaller, blank connected pentagons, labelled a-e, followed by an arrow pointing to the final answer box.

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A two part kakooma puzzle, with each part made up of 7 connected hexagons. The first part has seven hexagonal sections containing 7 numbers each. The top-middle section contains 2, 6, 11, 12, 15, 20, and 23, the top-right section contains 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 19, and 23, the bottom-right section contains 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, and 23, the bottom-middle section contains 3, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, and 24, the bottom-left section contains 5, 6, 8, 10, 16, 19, and 20, the top-left section contains 9, 13, 19, 20, 22, 24, and 25, and the centre section contains 8, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, and 23.

Click image to expand.

Questions and Prompts to Support your Child:

  • What have you tried so far? What could we try together?
  • If you feel stuck, try eliminating numbers that couldn’t be the sum of any of the others first. It might help you see things differently!

Extensions & Adaptations:

  • If calculations are feeling too tricky, grab a calculator!
  • Try creating your own kakooma puzzles by starting each section with three numbers that complete an addition sentence, then adding in some extra numbers that don’t. Make sure to still include numbers that are close, to keep your puzzles challenging.

Source: gregtangmath.com